The City and The Ship
by Shlane
Summary: After the attack and occupation Simion searches for a way to help Seld who was badly injured, a mutual friend puts him in touch with someone who can help


The City and The Ship.

By Shlane

Rating: K (nothing in here is worse than you would find in the books

AN: This oneshot came about from reading the very end of the City Who Fought, Where Simion said he contacted the AH-1003 about Sled's condition, it got me thinking about it and this is what came out of that. I've proabably taken a few liberties with the time lines but since we never know where the shellpeople books fit in relation to one another it's not too bad

Oh and one more thing: Not mine, if I owned this would I be writing fanfic?

Enjoy

* * *

"Isn't there anything more you can do for Seld?" Simeon asked Chaundra as soon as the doctor was alone in his office. 

The man shook his head sadly, "No the navy doctors have done everything they can." He put his head in his hands, "I always knew this would happen one day. I knew the bypass I did wouldn't hold forever I just didn't expect it would be so soon."

"Are you sure there's nothing that can be done?" Simeon asked again, it didn't seem fair that so young a child should be condemned to spend the rest of his life in a hospital.

"You think I haven't tried everything already?" Chaundra's head shot up to look at the wall screen where Simeon's virtual face was. "I knew this was coming and I've looked into every possibility since I first did the bypass. There is nothing I can do. He would only have had another ten years at best and that's with the best medical care available. This virus took Mary and now it's taken any chance our son had of having a normal life." Simeon noticed the doctor was crying.

There were times Simeon wished he were mobile just so he could hit his head into a wall, he'd seen others do it when they were angry or stressed and it seemed very therapeutic. It didn't seem right to him that medical science couldn't help a young boy live a full life when it could allow shellpeople, who should by rights have died at birth, to live incredibly long lives.

Suddenly it hit him, the other shellpeople. Maybe one of them might know something or someone that could help Seld. "Chaundra let me do some asking around, see if any of the BB ships or stations knows anything. Quite a few shellpeople work on research and medical stations, it's possible one of them might know something or have heard something that hasn't made it out this far yet.

"Thank you Simeon, you really think they might have something?"

"You never know, I'll see what I can do." Simeon blanked the screen and left the doctor alone with his thoughts.

* * *

_Now the next thing to do is to figure out how to do this_ Simeon thought to himself, _It's all well and good deciding to do it but the practical side is another matter, especially when about half my communications satellites are out._

Still he knew the sooner he got started on it the better, besides if he did find something he wanted the navy to still be there so he could bully the Admiral into taking Chaundra and Seld where ever they needed to go.

He sent out messages to all his old classmates and his other friends and asked them to pass on word of what he wanted. Answers started coming in within an hour and at first they were disheartening, no one had any idea what could help. He was becoming depressed until the message from the TM-370 came in. Simeon recognised the number as been an old friend of his in the archaeology courier service and had been rather surprised that she was still TM, Moira had a reputation of bouncing brawns. In fact he was sure that her current brawn was setting new records for longevity.

What did make him happy though was the first even partly positive reply he'd had.

"Simeon, I don't know anything that could help the child but I know someone who might. Contact the AH-1033 and send her the details of the case, she has friends in the right places to possibly help. Just make sure you flag it as top priority or Tia might not notice it for a while, she tends to get distracted by the archaeology dig she's assigned to or her brawn. Hope to see you some time in the not too distant future, Moria."

Happy to be getting somewhere at least Simeon composed a message and took Moria's advice and added as many top priority codes as he could and then sent it. Nothing to do but wait and help the repair teams put him back together again.

* * *

Tia was actually on base at that moment, the Institute was still deciding who would comprise the Prime Team they wanted to send to what they had deduced was the EsKay homeworld. I had been several months since Tia and Alex had brought back the metal book that seemed to be directions to the EsKay homeworld and the archaeologists were still ready to kill for the rights to excavate the potential homeworld. They had been out on a few supply runs but not as many as normal, far too long had been sat around waiting. 

Tia had her own reasons for wanting to find the world and she had also reminded the Institute that they shouldn't pick anyone who would keep a child on site with them, she didn't want another story like her own. She didn't want to find that damn bug that got her the hard way.

Alex was off ship at the moment shopping, they had both decided that if the Institute didn't pull its act together soon they were going to put in for leave and go visit Tia's parents on their dig. In the mean time Tia was searching for another investment opportunity, a few months worth of careful investment had already allowed her to earn enough money to buy out her contract even if she did find something better to do with it. A few more strategic choices and she would be a free woman.

She was interrupted in her search by an incoming recorded message for her that had more top priority codes on it than she had ever seen. For a moment she was worried something had worried something had happened to her parents but then realised that the sender was a shellperson. But not one she knew, SSS-900-C. Her memory banks provided a name to go with the number, Simeon. Curious she played the message, her main screen was filled with an obviously simulated face.

"Hello Hypatia, my name is Simeon. We haven't been properly introduced but a mutual friend said you might be able to help with a problem. Moria, the TM-370, said you might have friends in he right places to help a young boy on the station. We've had some trouble out here recently and it's left the boy with a badly damaged spine. The navy doctors don't think there's anything that can be done but I was hoping there might be something that can make his life better. I'm sending you some of the details of his case. Please send word as soon as you can. Thank you."

Even more curious now Tia opened the attached files and quickly scanned the data, she was no doctor but she knew someone who was.

Tia made a quick call to the Pride of Albion and Doctor Kenny. She was grateful that they were close enough for a real time conversation.

"Tia my dear, what a pleasant surprise." Kenny said as soon as he answered.

"Hello doctor Kenny, this isn't a bad time is it?"

"No not at all, I always have time for my most successful patient." He said with a smile. "Having fun now you're mobile again?"

"Very much." Tia was grateful at that moment she was encased in her column other wise she was sure she would have been blushing furiously as she knew full well what Kenny had meant. "The technicians have improved my range outside of the ship but I haven't bothered with going outside much."

"So when you said that body is fully functional you meant completely functional?"

"Kenny! Who once told me not to check about you and Anna? And in answer to your question yes, the first thing we tested." She paused for a moment and then continued, "Actually it was about moto-prosthetics I called you."

"I take it this isn't a social call then?"

"No, not this time. Another shellperson who runs a mining station contacted me with some details on a case that I would like you to look at. The boy in question is ten and his spinal cord is irreparably damaged. I was wondering if moto-prosthetics might have something that could help."

"Transmit me what details you have and I'll look over them." Kenny said with a smile, "As a special favour to my favourite case."

"Thanks Kenny." Tia said as she transmitted everything she had including Simeon's original message. "From the sounds of it Simeon's gone to great lengths to track down something that could help."

"Ah Tia, so good to hear from you again." The voice of Lars the station administrator came over the com.

"It's nice to hear from you again as well Lars. How's it all going there?"

"One drama after another but that's how it always is, any news from you?" The two of them continued to chat and catch up while Kenny read over the file Tia had sent him.

"Ok Lars enough softperson jokes." Kenny cut in, "I'm offended on behalf of all softies, now will you buzz off and let me talk to Tia."

"Of course, anything for the brilliant neurosurgeon, wonder of the Pride of Albion." Lars said before he turned his attention back to what he should have been doing, at least Tia and Kenny assumed he did."

"He's still therapeutically deflating your ego then?" Tia asked with a laugh.

"He never stops. Now Tia looking over what I have here I think I can certainly help Seld Chaundra if you can arrange for him to be brought here. His condition if a little more serious than my own but certainly no where near as bad as yours was my dear."

"Thanks Kenny, you're the best." Tia said, "I'll send a message to Simeon and get him and the boy's doctor to contact you directly."

"You're welcome Tia, but please don't say I'm the best, Lars will be 'deflating my ego' for hours now."

Tia laughed, "You know you like it really. I better go Kenny, Alex is due back soon and Simeon wanted an answer ASAP."

"Talk to you soon Tia, zen hugs from everyone here."

"Zen hugs to you as well Kenny, say hi to Anna for me. Bye." Tia cut the connection and started to answer to Simeon. She had just finished it when she heard Alex at her airlock.

"Permission to come aboard Tia."

"Come on up." She opened the lock and the watched as he ran up the stairs as always ignoring the lift, well at least he kept himself fit that way. "Good shopping trip?"

"Yes."

"I suppose it's too much to hope that fashions have changed yet, isn't it?" Tia asked having nightmares of even more neon outfits in Alex's bags.

"Tia m'love your fashions are stuck firmly back before you went into your shell." Alex answered as he dropped his bags on the floor, flopped down in his chair and put his feet up on the console. Tia had given up telling him off for it.

"Alex your so called fashion sense could burn out optics! I don't know how anyone can look at you with out sunglasses!"

"Well you can always loose them off later." Alex suggested.

"Don't tempt me."

"So what you been up to all day? Not reading I hope."

"I did a bit of reading and then a favour for another shellperson. Other than that I had a boring day and look at that, it's six o'clock. End of the day." Tia started shutting down her ships systems until the only things functioning were those on redundant back up circuits and then activated her cybernetic body.

Alex smiled as she walked up to him and pulled her down so she was sat on his lap then he gave her a quick kiss, "What you need is an AI to handle the basics."

"Good idea, we had better go and earn some more bonuses to pay for it." Tia frowned, "Of course to do that they'd have to give us some proper work."

"I don't know I like this lack of work." Alex said with a grin that Tia found infectious, "It gives us time for other things."

* * *

Read and Review, please? 


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